The danger of rip currents and how to escape it

A rip current is a, very often invisible, strong seaward current which develops when water which was pushed against the shore by wind and waves flows back to the sea. The occurence of rip currents depends largely on the shape of the sea bed along the shoreline. They often occur where there is a trench between sandbars, a gap in a reef, at piers, or at the mouth of a river.

Swimmers caught by a rip current are dragged away from the shore towards the open water but not under water. It is a common misconception that rip currents are strong enough to pull swimmers under water. Rip currents are extremely dangerous because many swimmers react in a wrong way when being caught. The biggest possible mistake is the attempt to swim against the current directly back to shore. This leads to exhaustion and the potential risk of death by drowning.

Here is what a swimmer should do when being caught by a rip current.

1. Don´t panic.
2. Don´t try to swim against the current back to shore.
3. Swim or float to the side, out of the current.
4. Once out of the current, ride the waves back to shore.

This video explains how to escape a rip current.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viKb5Ny4OWk